ABOUT LIANNE ERNST

Founder and Creative Director of MRS.ME home couture

Lianne was born and raised in Enschede, a city well-known for its textile history. She came into contact with this field at an early age as part of a family with its roots in this once flourishing Dutch industry.
Her love of fashion and textiles prompted her to follow the fashion course at the Academy of Art and Industry in Enschede. After graduation, she took the master course in Fashion Strategy & Design at the Art Academy in Arnhem.
She started her career designing for several women’s fashion brands before joining a Dutch label and retail chain where she was responsible for the design of all the product ranges, from clothes to bed linen to furniture.
After a brief career as interior stylist co-presenting on television, she started the label Mrs.Me in 2003.

the bedroom

The bedroom is a space that is receiving ever more attention, especially since it is no longer hidden behind closed doors but often visible to visitors. The bed linen has a big impact, since the bed covers many square metres in the average bedroom.
Furthermore, we spend a third of our lives in bed, so I feel it is only natural that we should create a room that is beautiful and has a great quality feel at the same time.People travel extensively and have become accustomed to enjoying the crisp white bed linen that they have come to know from comfortable hotel bedrooms. This affects the interior of the bedroom at home. Engendering an atmosphere of luxury, expressing a personal style and creating the conditions for a great night's sleep; a new approach to decorating the bedroom.

design proces

The first step in the design process is finding materials that intrigue me. I collect a lot of different materials and I start playing with them, making combinations in which the structures are highly important. Combining various structures causes exciting effects.
Compiling the colour palette is the next step. The starting point always is the timeless basic colour white. Then I add colours: neutral colours to support and striking colours as accents.
Designing the various products is the final part of developing a collection. I don’t use any paper or computers during the design process. I sketch three-dimensionally using fabrics, leather, trimmings and more, applying classic and modern sewing techniques.
The key is to make designs that fit seamlessly with the owner’s personal style by allowing them to choose their own mix. A room should feel like a perfectly tailored suit. Authenticity is essential; a room should inspire and tickle the senses.”

family treasures

My mother’s old heavy but indestructible sewing machine is very useful in the design process. This faithful friend will stitches steadily through both gossamer silk and thick saddle leather.
My interest in bedding is not purely professional - I really have a love for it. I even have some unused sheets and pillow covers from my mother’s trousseau. These fifty-year-old sets, still in their original packaging, lie amicably alongside some new sets of Mrs.Me in my closet.

inspiration

“You can find inspiration in everything and if you can’t look again.” Paul Smith.
“Always keep your eyes open. Keep watching. Because whatever you can see can inspire you.” Grace Coddington.
I don’t necessarily have to travel around the world for inspiration. I get just as many ideas doing everyday activities. Looking at art, listening to music, walking in a supermarket - the colours and packaging of the food- all often give me that ‘WOW’ moment.
Yet fashion and fabrics remain the biggest source of inspiration.